Network DevOps Engineer
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a driven Network DevOps Engineer to join a multinational Digital Excellence function. This role is ideal for someone passionate about modernising network management, driving automation initiatives, and enabling teams to adopt software engineering best practices. You'll play a key role in building an automated network infrastructure that supports critical systems and evolving business needs.
Location & Working Pattern
- Hybrid working, typically 2-3 days per week on-site depending on business requirements.
- British Citizens only.
- Successful candidates will be required to undergo BPSS screening, with Security Clearance and subsequent Developed Vetting (DV) clearance sponsorship available.
What We Offer
- Annual company bonus scheme.
- Competitive pension contribution package.
- Paid overtime opportunities.
- Flexible working arrangements.
- Additional annual leave through Flexi Leave.
- Enhanced parental, adoption, paternity and shared parental leave policies.
- Excellent site facilities, including subsidised meals and free parking.
The Opportunity
Join a highly skilled Digital Networks team and help shape the future of network automation. Whilst the team has extensive expertise in network engineering and automation, we are seeking a software-focused engineer who can strengthen development standards, tooling, and automation capability across the function.
You will help transition network operations toward a software-defined approach by introducing robust software engineering practices including version control, testing frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and modular application design. Working alongside network specialists, you will develop and maintain the tools, software, and automation platforms that support both physical and virtual infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain production-grade software solutions and automation tools, primarily using Python.
- Champion software engineering best practices including code reviews, unit testing, and maintainable coding standards.
- Define and implement automated testing strategies for network automation platforms and APIs.
- Develop and extend the Network Source of Truth through custom data models, plugins, and automation workflows.
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines to automate infrastructure testing and deployment.
- Develop and enhance Ansible playbooks and roles to improve network automation reliability and scalability.
- Support and mentor colleagues in software engineering methodologies and development practices.
- Drive innovation across network infrastructure management through automation and DevOps principles.
This is a unique opportunity to work with cutting-edge networking and automation technologies while making a direct impact on how network infrastructure is managed and evolved within a complex, highly secure environment.
If you have a strong software engineering background and meet most of the key requirements below, we'd encourage you to apply.
Essential Skills & Experience
- Advanced Python development skills with strong knowledge of object-oriented programming, design patterns, and maintainable code practices.
- Experience designing and implementing software testing strategies and frameworks.
- Strong API development and integration experience, including REST and GraphQL technologies and frameworks such as FastAPI, Django REST Framework, and Pydantic.
- Knowledge of JSON, YAML, Jinja2, and related data structures and templating technologies.
- Strong understanding of DevOps principles and Agile delivery methodologies.
- Experience with Git and GitLab version control workflows.
- Proven experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines.
- Hands-on experience using Ansible for infrastructure or network automation.
- Good understanding of networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, DNS, Routing, Switching, VLANs, and Subnetting.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with network engineering specialists.
Desirable Skills
- Experience with network testing frameworks such as PyATS.
- Exposure to Cisco technologies, including Catalyst Center and/or ACI.
- Experience with Nautobot or similar Network Source of Truth platforms.
- Knowledge of testing and data validation frameworks such as mock or factory_boy.
- Linux administration experience, ideally within Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments.
- Experience or familiarity with containerisation and virtualisation technologies, particularly Red Hat OpenShift.
If you're looking to apply your software engineering expertise within a highly innovative and technically advanced organisation, while helping shape the future of network automation, we'd love to hear from you!
